Related Articles

A spokesman for Buckingham Palace declined to comment, saying that it would not comment on the Queen’s personal views or speculation as to what she might think.

Bernard Jenkin, Tory MP and chairman of the Commons Public Administration Select Committee, which investigated the honours system, said: “If this is the Queen’s view, it is perfectly understandable.

“An 'Order of the British excellence sounds wet and is the kind of thing that must make her heart sink.

“It would have been unthinkable when she ascended the throne and would have had her father and grandfather spinning in their graves.”

Mr Jenkin said that he preferred the word “Empire” to remain, but said that if it were to go, it could be changed to “Order of the British Commonwealth”.

During the enquiry, Paul Flynn, the Labour MP, said that the order, which was created in 1917, was an outdated “relic” of the “jingoism of a country at war” and called for “Empire” to be replaced by the word “Excellence”.

An online petition set up by the anti-racism campaigner Phemy Williams calling for change has received only 41 signatures of support.

The latest report from the committee said it would not recommend any changes to the system until the 100th anniversary of the Order in 2017.

A spokesman for the Cabinet Office said: “There are no changes planned for the names relating to the Honours system.”